Work
by spockandawe
Summary: Thirty thousand yuans is too much money to earn before the tournament starts, but Mako remembers how he used to earn money when he was on the streets and desperate. TW: prostitution, sort-of dubcon
1. Chapter 1

Thirty thousand yuans. It was too much. Bolin had his ideas about Pabu and circus tricks of course, but I was too worried to take him seriously. I waved my brother off with something about the power plant and wandered off to think. It was an impossible sum. Legitimate work was a start, perhaps, but I'd never manage to bring home anything close to the amount of money we needed. We couldn't go to the triads. I'd fought too hard to get my brother away from them to risk everything now. I knew the answer, even if I couldn't admit it to myself yet.

Bolin hadn't known and I wouldn't ever let him find out. There were ways for a young, attractive boy to make a lot of money without much work. I'd never liked it, but in the desperate times it was better than starving. I could wave Bolin off with stories about odd jobs and menial labor, and he always believed me. We ate the food and hoarded the coins and I tried my hardest to forget how I'd earned everything.

Once we made it into pro-bending I thought those days were behind me. We didn't have much money, but it was enough. There was always that goal to reach for. We were going to become famous, win the tournament, have everything we ever wanted or needed. This was our one big chance. It had never been certain we'd ever win a place in the tournament at all, and with Korra on our team we maybe even stood a chance at winning. We couldn't afford to let this go. I'd always meant to save for the tournament pot, but the money always trickled away one way or another. If it had been something smaller, we could have found a way to make it work, but _thirty thousand yuans_-

The cheap makeup was something I'd stolen from a market stall when I was younger. Somehow I'd never thrown it away, only buried it deep underneath my other belongings. I slipped it into a bag, left my scarf on my bed and headed out before Bolin could ask me where I was going. After walking for some time, it only took one secluded alley to make the transformation. In the tiny, dusty mirror I put on the rouge, the eyeliner. Hopefully nobody would be able to recognize the pro-bender behind the makeup. I slid out of my jacket and tucked it into my bag, continuing on in just my undershirt. I went through quiet back roads and ducked between buildings, heading for the place I'd visited so many times before.

I didn't recognize any of the other men I passed on the street, but gave them wary nods as I found a place to settle against a wall and wait. Some of them were beautiful. Some had been beautiful once. I tried to take deep breaths and relax. Several men and a woman passed, but none of them had eyes for me. It was hard to remember everything, the looks and mannerisms that had to seem natural. At the sound of a Satomobile, I straightened. That meant money, serious money.

I strolled up to the edge of the road. As the Satomobile came closer, I stared down the driver through the glass of the front window. All I had to do was make him want me. The vehicle slid to a stop. The driver, a man with pale eyes and a long, dark mustache, leaned out and asked, "How much?"

Deep breath. Confidence. "Two thousand yuans."

He looked me up and down, and laughed. "You're nothing so special, boy."

Despite myself, I flushed. "You wouldn't regret it."

"Sorry, you're nice enough, but I don't feel like being cheated. We'll be going-"

A voice came from the back seats. "He'll do."

"He'll do? Amo- Sir, he's asking far too much. It isn't worth it." There was no answer, and he sighed but beckoned me around to the back door. "I think you will find that my employer has some little peculiarities, but for the rates you ask I think you can put them aside."

That didn't sound good, but two thousand yuans was an excellent start. Still, even with the driver's warning I hadn't expected the mask. It was unsettling. It would have been easy to focus on the design, the bright red circle, but I couldn't look away from the sharp eyes watching me. I'd been feeling confident, but those eyes worried me. Focus on the money.

I slid into the seat next to him, letting my leg brush against his and resting a hand on his thigh. "What should I call you?"

"I don't think we need to worry about that. I'm more curious how a promising young bender like you ended up working the streets like this." It took a moment for the words to sink in, but I stiffened and tried to pull away. He held my wrist in a grip that was painfully tight and laughed. "Now, now, don't be hasty. If you leave now, I think the world of pro-bending just might be swept by a wonderful scandal. It would be a shame if someone were to leak this to the newspapers."

"It doesn't matter," I hissed. "You're going to tell everyone anyways."

"Not necessarily." He pulled me closer, until I was barely an inch from the ceramic of his mask. "You'll just have to make me a very happy man, won't you?"

I couldn't answer, but managed a weak smile. The first caresses were more mechanical than conscious. This hadn't been something I was looking forward to, but I now I just wanted it to be over. He seemed content to sit where he was and let me move around him. I was on the floor between his legs as we drove down main street and watched people walk by as I rode him, praying that the glass was dark enough to hide me from them.

It was a struggle to get him to come. I could practically feel him smiling as I tried to remember every whore's trick I'd ever learned. When he buried himself in me, his fingers digging into my hips and leaving marks that would surely bruise, all I could feel was relief. I dressed myself while he silently sat and watched me. When the driver pulled over to the side of the road and gestured me out of the Satomobile.

I hesitated, turning to the man. "Ah, yes. Of course. He counted the bills out slowly. I could feel him watching me, but I didn't take my eyes from the money. This was only work. It would all be worth it. His last words to me were, "I do look forward to seeing the Fire Ferrets' next match."

I fled, not pausing until I'd put a few blocks between me and that man. I counted the money again. Two thousand yuans! It was a better start than I'd had any reason to hope for. Maybe, just maybe we'd be able to do this. In fact, before I went home I could stop to buy Bolin some dumplings. I could have been nicer earlier. I'd tell him that the power plant was hiring and we could just have a nice quiet evening together. Perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

The mask we'd seen on the stage had been new to Korra and Bolin. Not to me. Even if I' d somehow managed to forget the design, I would have known that cold, level voice anywhere. He had been intimidating when he was at his ease in the back of a Satomobile, but up seeing him there was a different experience altogether. Preaching, rallying the mob behind him, _taking their bending- _If my brother hadn't been up there, I would have run.

I gave myself a day to stay at home with my brother, but then I had to get back on the streets. There were still 30,000 yuans looming over us. 28,000 now. That one day of rest had been an indulgence we couldn't afford, but I would have been useless out there. Amon had given me chills before I knew what he was, but now- My hands had started shaking as soon as I realized who my customer had been. He shouldn't have seen me. I'd been one face among hundreds, and then just a shape in the fog. He couldn't know that I'd been there.

Still, logic couldn't put me at ease. I didn't want to go back to the street where he'd found me once, where he could find me again. I toyed with the idea of going around to the factories looking for jobs, but I already knew it was the wrong season. We had lost two days where I could have been out working, and we couldn't lose another while I wandered aimlessly about. I had to go somewhere where I knew I could bring home money.

"Bo, I'm heading out."

"I think I'll look around the construction sites today. They might have some earthbending work."

"Sounds good, but remember: stay away from the Triads. It's even more dangerous than it used to be.

I did my best not to dawdle as I headed across the city. This was unpleasant, but it was all for our future. If we could just make it big in the tournament, I'd never have to do this again. I was still nervous, but able to put up a decent front when I got to the street. The last few days had made me edgy, but this street had hardly changed from the first time I came here. Faces might change, but this place never did.

It was too early to expect much traffic, but this way I wouldn't miss a single possible customer. Anyone coming by at this hour would be more likely to have the... unusual interests that brought the higher rates. I had to remember that even if Amon had paid my 2,000 yuans, very few people would be willing to do the same. But I needed to not think about him now.

The hours passed without anything interesting happening. I spent my time trying to recall all the subtleties of body language that I had tried so hard to forget. I was the merchandise, and I couldn't expect anyone to pay for me if I didn't sell myself well. The motions were coming back to me, but the eyes had to convince them. Remember, it wasn't for long. After the tournament I could pretend this had never happened.

I jumped at the sound of a Satomobile, but then I laughed at my own nerves. Plenty of rich people drove. The odds of it being Amon on this street _again_, this early in the day... I needed to stop being silly. I had to focus on the money. I was already at the curb waiting for the Satomobile to pass by before I started to imagine I recognized the vehicle. No. Surely not-

I looked for some door or alley I could slip into, but there was nothing. I was back against the wall, turned away from the road, but I still heard the Satomobile brake in front of me. The driver called out through the window, and I pretended not to hear. It was harder to ignore the looks from the other men on the street. I shouldn't draw attention to myself but I couldn't, _couldn't_ go with that man again.

The driver paused, then continued, "Boy, I know enough to make your life very unpleasant. I think I'll begin with talking about your brother-"

"_Stop_." I walked over to the Satomobile. I just needed them to leave without making a scene. "You can't afford me. My rates have gone up."

"How much"

"Five thousand yuans," I said recklessly.

His eyebrows shot up, but he nodded. "Get in."

"What? No, I don't- There's no chance you think that's a reasonable price."

"Of course not. If you thought you had any chance of finding a customer willing to pay that much money, you're more foolish than I thought. I've been ordered to bring you in. Things might get unpleasant if you keep being difficult."

I hesitated. There had to be a way out. "That means you aren't going to pay me."

"Oh, you'll be paid. Get in the Satomobile. _Now_."

I climbed in through the back door, expecting to see that mask waiting for me. But the seats were empty. The driver turned to look at me. "He's waiting for you. Somewhere a little nicer than this." From so close he looked familiar. Had he been there that night? The man with the electrified kali sticks? If he was a nonbender, perhaps I could take him. He must have seen the look on my face because he grinned and said, "Don't even think about it. I'm more than good enough to take someone like you out."

The drive wasn't long, but the turns and streets we took were unfamiliar. I tried to remember how we'd come, but if I had to run I would be completely lost. I was escorted out of the Satomobile and through a series of doors and hallways without being given a chance to examine my surroundings too closely. I'd braced myself, but it was still a shock to see that pale mask and I could feel every muscle in my body tense.

"Ah, Mako," Amon murmured. I shifted. My name wasn't part of this. The driver bent in close to whisper to him. "Five thousand?" I smiled uneasily. It was completely unreasonable. He'd refuse to pay and I could leave. "Fortunately I have deep pockets." The smile fell from my face, but Amon was already nodding to his driver and before I could react we were alone and the door was swinging shut.

He took a step closer. "We do keep running into each other, don't we?"

"You're the one who sent your man for me."

"Very true, but I was rather speaking of the very determined effort you made to ruin my rally. You know, I thought the young earthbender had looked familiar, but it was quite a surprise to see you there, making a mess of things."

I took a deep breath. "If I know what you are and you know who I am, why would you bring me here?"

"It's nicer than a Satomobile, isn't it?"

"You know that's not what I mean," I snapped.

He reached out to touch my cheek and I tried not to flinch. "Perhaps I like beautiful things. Perhaps _you've_ somehow found a person willing to pay you five thousand yuans. I want to buy things that you have to sell."

I wanted to edge away, but his fingers had crept around the back of my neck and he pulled me forward. At least I wouldn't have to kiss him. It was easy to let my hands roam over his body as I tried to buy the time to compose myself. Getting this over with would be easier than trying to run now. Five thousand yuans. Do it for Bolin.

He didn't let me delay for long and he was too impatient to be satisfied with just my mouth. Soon I was naked on his bed, on hands and knees as he took me from behind. I could make the right noises for him, moan at the right times. I could arch against him and be sure to gasp with every little movement he made. But when he tried to touch me, I couldn't pretend that far. I grabbed his hands and held them in mine as he thrust against me. He took his time, just like he had before, and by the time he came I was more than ready to leave. I only let him take a few breaths before I slid out from under him and found my pants from among the mess on the floor.

He lay there, propped up on one arm and watching me without moving as I dressed. I shifted uneasily. This was all. Why wasn't he paying me so I could leave? Finally, I said, "That was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

He looked pointedly at my pants. "There's nothing else _you_ want?"

"I gave you what you paid for."

He sighed, then stood and took a few steps to a desk in front of a narrow, dusty window. He opened a drawer, pulling out a massive stack of bills and counting a smaller pile out before holding them teasingly out to me. "I suppose you don't want these, then?"

It took a supreme effort not to snatch the money from his hand. Instead I took it graciously and quickly counted them before tucking them safely away. "Should I show myself out, then?"

He opened the door and I jumped to see the driver standing immediately in the hallway outside. "Lieutenant, please escort the young man back to his residence. The probending gymnasium, I believe."

"N- No! Just put me back on the main streets. I can find my own way home."

Amon bowed mockingly. "As you wish. I can only hope your prices don't continue to rise. At this rate, you'll be one of the highest paid prostitutes in the city."

I ran without a reply. I had seven thousand yuans to put toward the tournament, but this couldn't continue. I'd rather sell myself three or four times a day for the rates I could reasonably charge than sell myself to this man one more time. Never again. I was distracted as the driver led me back to the Satomobile. I couldn't go back on the streets with this much money on me, but it was still only early afternoon. Could I go home and then go back to work? I was trying to think through the possibilities when I realized the man was taking me back to the gym.

"Hold on! I said you can stop anywhere. Just let me get out here."

He sighed, but pulled over to the side of the road. As soon as I was out of the vehicle, he accelerated away. I looked around, getting my bearings. It was the market district, but I couldn't have said how we got there. Still, I recognized the bus just across the street. Unless I was mistaken, that would have me back at the gym in twenty minutes. I ran out across the street, hoping to catch it before the driver pulled away. I could hear an approaching motor, but it didn't sound like anything large enough to be a Satomobile. Just wait until Bolin saw how much money we were saving up.


	3. Chapter 3

Featuring a tiny cameo by Hiroshi Sato! I only mention it because it would be incredibly easy to miss otherwise, but it made me laugh and I wanted to share with you all.

* * *

It was easy to tell myself that I could afford a break. I'd earned almost a quarter of the money after only two days on the streets, and with just a little more luck we'd be able to pay the fees for the tournament. I just tried to forget how that money had come to me. Amon had been unnerving even when I hadn't known who he was, and he was terrifying now. He knew where to find me and hadn't been content to just have me once. If he wanted me again, he'd be back for me, and I wasn't at all certain he'd take no for an answer. I'd seen what he nearly did to Bolin, and it was impossible to shake the feeling that every touch would be the one that took my bending.

It was even more difficult to force myself to go to work when I knew Asami was waiting for me. I'd never known someone like her before. It was easy enough to go through the motions of sex and fake emotion for the people who wanted it, but I'd never felt the urge to pull someone in for a spontaneous kiss, or to put my arm around their shoulder and hold them close just to know they were there. I wanted to spend every moment where I wasn't training with her, and it hadn't been easy to say that I couldn't afford to lose much work time. She smiled and assured me it was fine, but I was careful to avoid any particulars about my job. It was better for her not to know.

For the first few days I was sick to my stomach, fretting that someone would look past the cheap rouge and recognize me as Asami Sato's new companion. I had to smile and posture for the men and women who came down our street looking to hire a warm body, but I spent most of my time keeping an eye out for any sign of Asami or Amon. I wasn't sure which I dreaded more, but nothing happened.

Work continued without interruption, and things became easier the more people I followed back to their homes. There was the older woman draped in pearls and gems, trying gamely to hide the beginnings of wrinkles under heavy layers of makeup. There was the pudgy, richly-dressed businessman with grey-streaked hair and little round glasses. I remembered a time when I'd been reluctant to go with so many clients in so little time, but now it was just business. I was never able to charge as much as I did with Amon, but the money came steadily in and the stash of yuans hidden under our floorboards grew larger and larger.

It had been long enough that I'd forgotten to worry. It was just another day and I'd gotten an early start. Asami had been hinting that she wanted me to meet her father, and if everything went according to plan we'd be meeting him at his factories this evening and going to her house for a nice dinner. I needed to find a client early and get this over with. I had started to walk up toward the sleek Satomobile when I recognized the driver and felt my heart lurch. I _had_ been careful to look for escape routes after the last time and began backing toward an alleyway before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop.

The driver called, "If you aren't free now, we can always just come by your home later."

I stopped and glared. "I'm allowed to say no to a customer."

"But can you afford to? You are working under a deadline, after all."

I stepped close and dropped my voice, hissing, "I can do this on my own. I don't need your money."

There was movement from behind the driver, and Amon leaned over his Lieutenant's shoulder. "Name your price."

" You don't need me. You could hire any man on this street, and they'd be glad to have you."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "Oh, but I have very particular requirements. I'm looking for a firebender with an earthbending younger brother, and who has been seen of late courting the young Miss Sato-"

"Stop. Just stop. Why do you need _me?_"

"I don't need you, but I _want_ you. Come, boy, you've seen what I can afford to spend and if you can't pay your fees soon, I'm afraid that pro-bending tournament will slip away from you. Tell me, how soon do they expect you to come up with the money? Name your price."

I shuddered. Why would he go through the trouble of learning so much about me? "Fifty thousand yuans."

He laughed long and hard. "No. I'll pay you five thousand again, and _you_ can be the one who decides to walk away from that much money. Can you do that? Will you throw away your future because there's one man in the city you won't whore yourself out to?"

Even if he'd already paid me that much once before, the amount still took my breath away. There had been a time when Bolin and I could have lived on that much money for a year. That much would take us over halfway to what we needed. I'd known it would take luck to earn the thirty thousand yuans in time and as much as I wanted to say no and leave- this was the last piece of luck I'd needed.

"Well?" the driver growled, but Amon held up a hand to silence him.

"I don't trust you."

"Please. I could have done whatever I wanted long ago. They would have found you lying unconscious in the gutter without your bending. You're safe with me" He spread his arms wide. "This is nothing but a business transaction."

I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I'll do it."

The ride was quiet and uncomfortable. I expected something like our first meeting in the Satomobile and tried to move to get things over with, but Amon stopped me. We sat silently watching each other as his Lieutenant drove through the tight streets and alleys, finally coming to a stop in front of an unfamiliar building.

"This isn't where you took me before."

"Of course not. You've been hired by the most-wanted criminal in Republic City. Did you think I stayed put in my home, just waiting for any nosy bender to stumble across me?"

As before, the Lieutenant led me up narrow stairwells and down hallways until he finally stopped in at an unremarkable door and ushered me inside. I hardly had a chance to get my bearings before I heard Amon step in and close the door behind him.

"Now, boy. Mako." I flinched at the sound of my name. "I was generous last time, but this time I expect you to give me a performance that worthy of the price you charge."

"Wh-"

"This is not a race to see how fast you can get me to come so you can take the money and go running back to your little society lady. I will pay you all five thousand yuans if you satisfy me, but if you can't do any better than before, I'll be holding onto a good part of that money."

"That's not what you agreed to!"

He shrugged. "No. But what can you do about it? Do you honestly think you would win in a fight between us? All I want is what I've already agreed to pay for."

I took a step back as he advanced. "I don't know what you mean. I did my best for you."

I ran into the edge of the bed and took a quick look behind me as he closed the distance between us and laughed. "I don't believe that for a second, Mako. If your 'best' is that flat and cold, I'd never expect you to hold a young lady's interest. Tell me, does Miss Sato appreciate it when you won't even look into her eyes? How about when you glare at her when you think she's not looking?"

"That's different. You can't expect me to forget what you've done."

"Mm." He ran a slow finger down my chest, over my stomach, then caressed me through my pants. "Do you let her touch you?"

"That- That's not-!"

He threw his head back and laughed. "So innocent! Selling yourself on the streets and you're blushing like a child." He rubbed me harder. More insistently. "Mako, you are going to come for me."

"No! I don't want to-"

His hand left me and I breathed a momentarily sigh of relief. Then I felt his thumb against my forehead. "I could always touch you like this." I struck wildly at him, but he leaned back and easily avoided the flames. "Mako, Mako. I'm a customer. Let us be generous and say that I've paid for nothing but a single orgasm. I want it to be yours."

"But _why_?"

His hands were moving over me again. "Do you really need to know that? Am I sitting here asking why a nice young man like you is whoring himself out to the highest bidder?'

"You don't need to ask. You clearly know everything about my life already."

"True, true. Consider, though- I will pay you five thousand yuans if and only if you satisfy me. Right now, I think that all that I want to pay for is to see you struggle against it. Seeing you helpless as you tried to resist me, seeing you shake as you came under my hands. Red in the face, gasping for breath as you came all over yourself, unable to fight any longer."

I tried to think as he slid my shirt up over my chest. There- there was the money. I couldn't forget that. But no matter what I did for other people, this had always been _mine_. If I just made them come, I could leave. That had always been all I could handle. Even for five thousand yuans, could I say yes? Would he let me say no?

In the end I said nothing at all. It hardly seemed like this was happening to me. It was like I was a third person watching from the outside as he slowly eased my shirt over my head, undid my belt and slipped a hand into my pants. I hadn't expected his hands to be so gentle. His fingers ghosted over me, a feather-light touch I could barely feel. I had hoped he'd move on and take me quickly, but the minutes dragged by as we stood there, him barely touching me.

I was hard by then, and it was difficult to remember that I wasn't supposed to be enjoying this. After all the soft touches, it was a shock when his hands became more demanding. His thumb pressed against the tip of my cock, and a small gasp escaped me.

"You like that don't you, Mako?" I mouthed 'no' and tried to shake my head, and all of a sudden he jerked my pants down over my hips. "Perhaps you don't, but your cock certainly does. Look at it, standing up and just begging me to touch it more. Even if you won't say it out loud, I know you want me." He took me into his hands again. "Will you be telling your pretty little lady about this later?"

"She has nothing to do with this-"

"Of course, of course. I'm sure she thinks you work some lovely honest job and bring home your honest wages. A girl like her would never guess she was with a boy whoring himself out to the most dangerous man in the city." His fingers tightened on my balls as he spoke, and I clutched helplessly at his arms.

He laughed at the look on my face, but his touch grew lighter again. He brought his hands up to my shoulders, pressing me down onto the bed. This was more familiar territory. If he would only cooperate, things could move faster from this point to the end. I edged into the center of the bed and lay back with my legs spread wide. I reached a hand out to Amon as he settled beside me and as he settled down over me, I thought I had control again.

"Oh, no. I'm afraid you won't escape so easily, Mako."

"Stop using my name!"

"Mm, I don't think I will. I rather like the way you react to it." I took his hand and moved it back toward my cock, but he trailed it down over my thigh and back up over my chest, never once touching me where I needed to be touched. He sighed, "So shameless. You can't even take a little break before you need my hands on you again?"

"That's not-"

He lifted the edge of his mask just enough for a glimpse of ugly red scars before he lowered his mouth to my chest. It was difficult to ignore the feeling of the twisted scar tissue against my skin, but it was impossible not to react to the teeth and the wet tongue. As he bit me, there was smallest little noise came from the back of my throat. He didn't say a word, but I could feel him smile.

He was distracted, and as I watched him move I had a horrible, awful, _stupid_ idea. First I carefully tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him close to me. I ran my hand up the back of his head until I bumped into the edge of the porcelain mask, then back down to the base of his neck. Then, slowly, slowly, I edged toward the cord that held his mask in place. I was almost there when his hand shot up and grabbed my risk. When his head lifted, his eyes were angry and his voice was cold.

"You aren't as much of a fool as you act, Mako. You have a great deal more to lose than I do, and I promise you would regret it until your dying breath, which could easily come in the very near future. You will _not_ recieve a second warning."

His grip tightened. I could feel the bones of my wrist grind together and gasped, "I won't-"

He patted me on the cheek. "Wonderful. Now just lie there and be a good little whore for me."

As he stretched out along my body, I could feel his cock nudging against my hip through the fabric of his pants. I eased one of my legs between his and pressed it up against him. He ground down against me, slipping one of his own legs forward to brush against my cock. I was so hard, and as much as I disliked this, that contact was a wonderful relief. He rocked forward against me, setting a tortuously slow pace as he dropped bites and kisses over my chest and neck.

I blindly fumbled with his belt and pants. He'd agreed that he'd paid for one orgasm. If I could only make him come first, perhaps he'd let me leave. He let me do what I wanted until I'd pushed his pants down around his thighs, but then he grabbed my hands and pinned them over my head as he continued grinding against me. His cock left damp trails over my skin as he thrust against me, and some distant part of me was aware that my cock was dripping just as badly. He probably could have brought me over the edge just like that, but just when I realized that I was almost ready to come,he pulled back and sat down on the bed, just watching me. I opened my mouth to protest, then thought better of it, but I could practically feel him smiling behind the mask.

"Did you have something to say, Mako?"

"No," I snapped.

"Of course. I just thought you were about to beg me to touch you again."

My cheeks must have been bright red, but I glared at him. "You're the one who wants to make me come. Why not just get on with it?"

He sighed. "So very impatient. I certainly hope you don't treat Miss Sato this way."

I started to turn over onto hands and knees, but he held up a hand to stop me. I waited impatiently for him to say something, but he began slowly stripping off every piece of his clothing, folding it, and dropping it onto a neat pile on the floor. Finally, I said, "Well?"

"I'm paying for your services, aren't I? It might be easier for you to fuck me without all this in the way."

"Hold on. You want _me _to fuck _you_?"

He sighed again. "I don't believe I was unclear."

"But I didn't-"

"Didn't... what, exactly? Didn't plan on satisfying your customer? Didn't expect me to ask for something beyond what _you _wanted? Mako, I'm not so sure you have the best understanding of the whore-client relationship."

"Fine!" I shouted before pulling myself back under control. "Fine. Then get over here so I can just do it."

"Mako, Mako. I'm not someone who's made a career out of sleeping with strangers like you are. You'll have to prepare me first. Frankly, if you don't do a good job I don't think you'll deserve much of your payment."

I ground my teeth together and hoped my smile didn't seem _too_ forced. "Whatever you want."

Amon reached into a small table beside the bed and pulled out a little bottle of clear liquid. He waved it teasingly in my face and said mockingly, "Remember, be gentle with me."

I tried to ignore him as I opened the bottle and poured lube over my fingers. Amon lay back against the pillows with his legs spread wide, watching me through the mask with half lidded eyes. I groaned. "Don't you want to do this from behind? It's easier."

"No, no, I think I want to see everything. Don't you fret, I'm sure you can handle it. You're a _professional_, aren't you?"

Just ignore him. Get it over with. I pushed the first finger in without much warning, but it didn't even get a noise out of him. I only moved it in and out a few times before adding the second. He didn't outwardly react, but sighed, "Oh dear, Mako, if this is your idea of gentle I do feel badly for your young lady."

"Stop _talking _about her!" Amon's back arched as I slid a third finger into him, and I thought I heard his breath catch. He laughed breathlessly as I scissored my fingers, stretching him as quickly as I could. His hand moved lazily over his own cock as I pulled back to pour lube over myself.

I entered him with one smooth motion and his hands reached up to grab my arms and pull me closer. I braced myself on my elbows, my forehead resting in the crook of his neck as I thrust in and out. He'd moved slowly, but it was my turn to set the pace. I began quickly and went faster and faster. It was easy to lose myself in him and with every movement I could feel his cock sliding against my stomach.

Amon's head was thrown back, and from this close I could hear his breathing getting ragged. At this point I probably would have been able to make him come and leave, but by now I needed to get off so badly it hurt. He was so tight around me and I only wanted to press myself closer to the warmth of his body-

It took me by surprise when he took one of my hands and slipped it between us. He wrapped my fingers around his cock and held me there. I moved up and down, my palm rubbing over the smooth skin of his cock's head as his hand rested on top of mine. When I smoothed a finger through the precum beading at his tip, he actually moaned.

It was almost too much. I could feel my breath catching as I tried to move even faster against him as I jacked him off. Once or twice he tried to say something, but he couldn't string the words together any more than I could have. Finally he came, shaking under me with his hands clinging to my shoulders. He tightened around me and that with the sight of him gasping for air was enough to send me over the edge. I bit down on my lip as I buried myself deep, collapsing on top of him as the aftershocks rocked through me.

We lay there for some minutes without moving or saying a word. This time, Amon was the first to leave the bed. As he began to unfold his clothing and dress, I remembered myself. It took him a while to pull on every layer and piece of armor, so I was dressed in my simple shirt, pants, and shoes before him. I sat on the bed waiting for to finish, until finally he stood and fetched his roll of money.

He slowly counted out bills, then looked up at me. "Three thousand was what we agreed on, was it not?"

"You said five!"

"Certainly, certainly."

I counted the money twice before hiding it safely away. Amon was still between me and the door and I cautiously stepped around him as I went to leave.

"I expect you'll be telling your rich young lady and your brother that you found work in the factories, then? If you need to find more money to pay for that tournament, you know where to find me. Or rather, I know how to find you." I glared at him and he laughed one last time. "Oh, you may hate me now, but just think! It will all be worth it when you bring home that tournament pot. I'll be seeing you, Mako."

I wanted badly to say something, but I had to remember that this was all for our future. It would be worth it. The Lieutenant was waiting for me in the hallway again. I followed him through the hallways down to the Satomobile. He began to drive me back to the pro-bending gym, but as soon as we were on a street I recognized I told him to stop and I could walk the rest of the way. By the look of the sun, it was still only early afternoon. There was still plenty of time to get home and clean up before Asami wanted me to come meet her father.


End file.
